Since it’s October, Hulu is loading up on spooky titles for Halloween. Barbarian, Zach Cregger’s excellent horror flick, is available to stream. If you’ve never seen Barbarian, prepare to be blown away. You also can’t go wrong with The Sixth Sense and Ready or Not. Other movies streaming on Hulu include Unbreakable, Underwater, and The Fly.
Many of the above titles can be found on Hulu’s home page. But if you look further into the Hulu vault, you’ll be rewarded with several underrated films that are surprising in the best ways. This October, try watching one of these three movies: a charming romantic dramedy with two comedic actors, a satire about social media, and a true crime thriller.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)
Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones are more known for their comedic work, but Celeste and Jesse Forever is a bit of a pivot for both actors. It’s a rom-com, but features dramatic elements sprinkled between jokes. High school sweethearts Celeste (Jones) and Jesse (Samberg) married young and get along as friends. However, there is a clear split in the direction of their lives. Celeste is a driven business owner, while Jesses is an unemployed, go-with-the-flow artist.
Celeste and Jesse agree to separate and remain friends, though the latter is still in love with the former. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, as Celeste begins to miss what she once had with Jesse. Can Celeste reignite the spark in her past life, or is it time to move on? It’s hard not to like Jesse and Celeste, which is a credit to the chemistry between Samberg and Jones. It’s maybe not the best movie to watch if you’re in a struggling relationship, but there is a happy ending … sort of.
Watch Celeste and Jesse Forever on Hulu.
Not Okay (2022)
The dangers of living in a social media world are satirized in Quinn Shephard’s Not Okay. Zoey Deutch stars as Danni Sanders, an aspiring writer working for a magazine in New York City. Danni dreams of becoming a social media celebrity, mainly because she’s neglected in her day-to-day life, and believes popularity will lead to friends.
To gain clout and impress a boy (Saturday Night‘s Dylan O’Brien), Danni fakes a trip to Paris for a writer’s retreat by photoshopping pictures and videos of herself from the French city. The ruse works until the real world strikes — terrorists bomb Paris. Danni must choose whether to come clean or pretend to be a survivor. Obviously, Danni chooses the latter and gains newfound fame. How long can Danni keep the lie up? Better yet, what happens when someone discovers her scheme?
Watch Not Okay on Hulu.
Boston Strangler (2023)
Sometimes, direct-to-streaming releases dominate the conversation upon their release. Then, the movie gets lost in the library after failing to keep its momentum going. Boston Strangler is a case in point. In 1960s Boston, reporter Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) investigates horrific cases involving women who were raped and strangled to death.
As more women die, Loretta notices the similarities between the killings and deduces the murders are the work of a serial killer. She names the murderer “The Boston Strangler.” With the help of colleague Jean Cole (Carrie Coon), Loretta fights back against the sexism of the era to deliver the truth.
Watch Boston Strangler on Hulu.